Lost in the Wind
by Ms. SpearBourne
Summary: He was destined for greatness; all he needed was a little nudge in the right direction. Too bad Iolaus's memory of who nudged him is lost in the wind.
1. Chapter 1

_My boyfriend managed to fix my computer (yes, he is wonderful) and I found a bunch of my old fics on it from a couple of years ago. This is one I began writing as a challenge someone sent me, but, when I found myself not quite as up to the task as she'd thought I might be, I took it down and forgot all about it._

_Standard disclaimer: I don't own anything of the Herc/Xenaverse and I don't make any money from this. I own only my original characters, Deeta and Praxios. I do, however, belong to the gods of Strife. No, really, I'm an Erisian._  
_Oh, and since four actresses played Nemesis on the series, picture her whichever way you wish; I couldn't really decide how I wanted her to look, so let's just chalk it up to gods can shape-shift or something like that. Personally, I liked Teresa Hill's performance, so that's who I'm thinking of as I write Nemesis's parts._  
_Anywayyyyy . . . This first chapter is set years before the events of Young Hercules. Deeta looks like she'd be in her late teens and sort of goth. Loosely based on Young Hercules with possible references to future events on Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and allusions to some as-yet unposted fics I'm working on even as I type this._  
_Let's see how this progresses this time, shall we?_

"Hey, Aunt Nemesis," Deeta called as she shimmered into the field where the goddess of retribution was meditating.

"Hi, Deeta," Nemesis called back dreamily. Slowly, she unfurled her long legs and rose to greet her niece. "It's been a while! You've changed your hair colour again!" she exclaimed with a smile.

"Yeah, I was getting tired of the purple, so I went back to black. It matches my clothes."

"Like Nyx."

"Yup. Grandmother liked it when she saw it a few weeks ago. Said it suited me better than that bright blue 'do with the silver streaks I had a few seasons ago!"

Nemesis laughed at that memory. "The nights certainly were darker for a while!"

"Well, how was I to know she'd get so upset over my hair colour?" Deeta pouted dramatically.

"That _does_ sound like my mother, though; you do have to admit that. Oh! I have to go into town and check on someone today. Do you want to come?"

"Sure. Are we mingling or just observing?"

"Just watching. But if you want to mingle, I suppose we could."

"Hmm, maybe. Just give me a second to change." With a flourish of her hands, Deeta donned something more in keeping with local clothing. There was no sense in wearing what she normally wore if she were about to mingle with mortals.

In a flash, they were at the edge of town. "There's a local merchant who's become rather wealthy. He's done it at the expense of others. He's lied, cheated, stolen. And his pride is getting the better of him. He is beginning to believe himself to be above the law."

"Really? Does this mean I'll get to play with him?"

"If I don't have to execute him yet, I suppose you could. Maybe he'll change his ways with your . . . coaxing," Nemesis winked.

The divine pair strolled completely unseen by the townspeople. "So this merchant? How did he start out?" the young goddess of nudgery queried. If she was to help her aunt, she needed to hear his history.

Nemesis sighed before beginning the tale. "He grew up very poor. There were days he didn't even eat because there just wasn't enough for everybody. But . . . he survived. When he was old enough, he started working for a merchant in town. It was simple stuff at first, deliveries and such, and he'd learn from the old man. As he grew older, Praxios knew that he would never allow himself to be poor again. He started saving money and urging the old merchant to allow him to do more. This was done out of kindness, not greed. Once the old man died, Praxios took over the business and . . . the power and money got to him. Now, he is full of pride and arrogance. He does none of the things he swore he would do! He stopped giving alms to the poor and hungry, he doesn't even give the gods praise anymore."

"That's awful!" was all Deeta could say. "Maybe what he needs is a good swift kick in the seat of the pants?"

"We shall see."

A commotion briefly distracted them. "STOP THAT THIEF!" a baker shouted.

Deeta wasted no time in making herself tangible, though still invisible to mortals. A young boy crashed into her and toppled to the ground. He was dazed, then shook off his confusion to attempt to retrieve the pastries he'd stolen. The angry baker stomped towards him. The boy was obviously starving, so Deeta made herself seen.

The baker and the boy were startled by her sudden appearance. Nemesis could only laugh at their gaping mouths.

"Is there a problem here, sir?" she asked sweetly.

The baker recovered his wits quickly. "This little thief just stole all these pastries from me!"

"Oh, nonsense! He's just a tiny wisp of a boy!" she cooed up at the burly man. "Come now, how much could he have taken?"

"Well . . . it . . . it's not how much he took . . . but I don't take kindly to people stealing from me!"

"Will, uh, will this settle the debt?" she asked as she handed the baker a few drachma. She helped the boy to his feet and prodded him to apologise for his crime.

"I'm really sorry, mister," the dirty blond-haired boy sniffled. He really was quite small. He couldn't have been much older than eight winters old.

"Well, I suppose it's all right, now. Just don't ever do it again! Y'hear?"

The boy gave a frightened nod and ran off before anyone could stop him. Deeta had a funny feeling she'd be seeing him again. She shrugged it off and walked towards an alley where she could rejoin Nemesis. After a few minutes' stroll, they found the building where the merchant Praxios did his work.

They maintained a perch above his desk and watched as he squinted at scrolls and counted out coins.

"You said he was terribly poor as a boy, didn't you, Aunt Nemesis?" Deeta asked.

"Yes. He had to resort to thievery and conning people into giving him food and money at times . . . What are you thinking?" the elder goddess drawled, an inkling forming in her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you sure about this, Deeta?" Nemesis asked for the fourth time.

"Praxios needs a reminder of what he used to be. What better way to remind him than to hold up a mirror to his past? Where is that boy?" Deeta peered into the polished silver she used to spy on her chosen mortals. "Ah! Found him! He's just outside of town, with a group of older boys." Nemesis took the younger goddess's hand and they shimmered to their destination.

When they arrived, they opted for a perch on a tree branch just above the group. One of the larger boys was insisting that he get the largest pastry, seeing as he was the leader of their gang. The boy Deeta had seen earlier was off to the side, whimpering in pain. No one else was paying any attention to him.

Deeta glided to his side and allowed him to see her. She held a finger to her lips and guided him away from the scuffle. When they were out of earshot of the other boys, his blue eyes widened as he realised who this strange woman was. "You . . . you're a goddess, aren't you?"

Deeta smiled and nodded. "Yes. And I have chosen you to help me with something, if you are willing."

"Nobody wants me," he muttered.

"Oh, nonsense. They just don't see what I see. What is your name?"

"I don't have a name. Everybody just calls me Runt."

She nearly wept for this boy. "Everybody needs a name. I'm Deeta." Thinking for a moment, she snapped her fingers. "How about Salmoneus?"

He wrinkled his nose. "Nah, sounds like a fish. Or someone who might sell his own mother to make a dinar."

"Hmm, what about . . . Falafel?"

"Sounds like some bad food that'd make you sick."

She nodded. Slowly, she mused aloud, "I once knew a boy named . . . Iolaus. He was a great hunter . . . very strong . . . quite brave . . . loyal almost to a fault." Her eyes misted at the few memories she had of love.

"Iolaus? I think I like it."

"Good. Iolaus, it is, then. Aunt Nemesis! May I present . . . Iolaus."

"Nemesis? _The_ Nemesis? The goddess?" He gawked at her beauty.

"Is there any other?" Nemesis winked at the young boy.

Young Iolaus was stupefied. Not just one, but _two_ goddesses were speaking to him! What had he done to deserve this? "Wait, you said you wanted me to help you?" he turned to Deeta. He was drawn to her eyes, as dark as the midnight sky.

"Yes. You see, Iolaus, there is a merchant in town, a mean and arrogant man, and we need to teach him a lesson. He used to be a street urchin and a thief and . . ."

"You mean, like me?"

Deeta made a sorrowful face. "Well . . . yeah. He just needs to be reminded of where he came from and how he got to be so powerful. He . . ." She sighed, unsure of what, exactly, she should tell the young boy.

"He has broken many promises he made to the gods themselves, Iolaus," Nemesis continued. "Will you help us show him the error of his ways?"

His face suddenly brightened at the prospect of someone so important wanting his help. "Sure! But . . . could I have something to eat first?" His stomach rumbled loudly.

"Oh, of course!" Deeta clapped her hands together and caused a small table and three chairs to appear. Nemesis waved her hands and a small feast materialised.

Iolaus's wide blue eyes grew even wider. "All this?" he squeaked. "I've never seen so much food before! At least, not that I was allowed to eat!"

"Just remember to eat slowly. We can't have you getting sick on us, now, can we?" Nemesis warned. "We'll eat, and then we'll head back into town."

Deeta was nibbling at a piece of honeyed fruit pastry. "What about the other boys, Iolaus? Won't they wonder where you've gone?"

"Nah, they don't worry about me. 'Cept when I have something they want." His face suddenly grew fearful. "What if they find us here? They'll want all this for themselves!" He began rushing, trying to stuff fruit into his pockets.

"Iolaus . . . Iolaus!" Deeta laid a gentle hand on his wrist. "It's all right. They won't find us here. We're cloaked."

"Cloaked?" he echoed.

"Yes. Invisible to mortal eyes. Now, sit, eat. And we'll tell you what you need to do when we find Praxios," Deeta urged.

"Praxios? That's the merchant?" he asked.

Nemesis nodded. "Yes. So don't eat too much now. We'll need you able to run past him. Tonight, if all goes according to plan, we'll have another feast. Even bigger!"

Iolaus munched happily on more food than he'd had all of the past month. He just hoped that he'd be able to do what the beautiful goddesses asked of him.

* * *

The entire afternoon went perfectly. Iolaus ran past Praxios, as planned, and Praxios fell to the ground, cursing and dropping his purse on the way. Iolaus lamented that he hadn't had anything to eat in three days and he had three younger brothers to feed at home. He even managed a few tears while he gave Praxios the story.

Deeta turned up at the perfect moment to hear the story and offer a few coins to help. When Praxios offered nothing but dirty looks at the boy, she pouted. "Surely, a wealthy man like you must be able to spare a little change for one so poor and hungry?"

Nemesis stood off to the side, sniggering softly to herself. She had to give credit where credit was due! They _did_ make an excellent team!

Praxios's expression softened at the woman's chiding of his lack of generosity. "You're right, I can spare a - a little." _'This boy could be me as a lad! How did I change so much, from him into me?'_

As he handed Iolaus a handful of drachmas and dinars, Deeta placed a hand on the merchant's shoulder and whispered so only he could hear, "This is a good thing you are doing."

A smile slowly grew on the man's face, and he whispered back to her, "Do you really think so?" When she nodded, he proclaimed, in a booming voice, that he was going to open an alms house. "And not only that, but a place where a trade can be learned!"

The townspeople glanced at him sideways, wondering what could've brought about so sudden a change. They saw no one beside him, so they all thought that the gods themselves must surely be at work here. Several women offered to help with the cooking and the cleaning at the alms house, while the stronger men promised to build the learning annex.

"You both did an excellent job! And so quickly!" Nemesis complimented the duo when they had left the town centre.

Iolaus chuckled. "When he saw me, he looked like he'd seen a ghost!"

"So . . . this means you won't have to . . . right, Aunt Nemesis?" Deeta asked softly.

"Not if he continues to do good things like he's promised," the goddess of retribution confirmed.

"Let's find a place to rest. I'll bet Iolaus is hungry!" the younger goddess teased.

Iolaus had been leaping and running since they'd reached the edge of town. Now that they were out along a wooded path, he was having even more fun. "Ooh, food!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands.

Both goddesses smiled at his exuberance. It was just a shame they'd have to take his memories of the past day from him.

* * *

After their festive meal, Nemesis remained with the boy while Deeta went off on some business of her own.

"He is a quick learner, you say?" a stern centaur crossed his arms.

"Yes, Chiron. He . . . helped me today in a way only he could. Will you at least meet with him?" Deeta asked.

Chiron's tail twitched in the evening breeze. "You have been good to us here at the Academy." He inhaled the heady aroma of the surrounding fields. He knew he owed much to the very goddess in front of him. "Very well. Bring him by in the morning, after breakfast. I can't promise him a place here, but perhaps . . . for a few days, at least, he could have a safe place to stay."

"Thank you, Chiron! I will bring him."

As the goddess shimmered away, leaving silver sparkles in her wake, Chiron sincerely hoped he wasn't making a mistake letting a thief into his Academy. _'Perhaps I should pair him with one of the older students? Naxos? No, he might be too harsh. Tiresias? Always off in his own world. Aeson? Perhaps.'_

"Ah, Hercules!" he called out to the boy passing by. "We may be having a new recruit join us tomorrow. I would appreciate it if you would help me give him a tour of the grounds."

"Yes, of course, Chiron," the rapidly growing boy promised.

_'Yes, Hercules will do just fine. I just hope they stay out of trouble.'_


	3. Chapter 3

The morning sun was just rising as Nemesis appeared to the wise centaur. "Good morning, Chiron," she greeted.

"Ah, dear goddess! To what do I owe the honour?"

"It's about . . . the boy that Deeta will be bringing to you later."

"Yes? What of him? Deeta told me he had fallen in with a . . . a bad crowd. Is there more I should know?"

Nemesis drew a breath before speaking. "His memories of the past day with us will need to be . . . expunged. He mustn't know that . . ."

"Ah, I understand. Will you give him new memories to replace the ones you remove?"

"Yes. If you accept him into your Academy, he will think it part of . . . a deal to avoid prison for stealing. Beyond that, you may tell him what you wish about why you allowed him a place here . . . If you do, of course."

Chiron stroked his stubbled chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, you both care for this boy, this . . . Iolaus, don't you? That is enough for me. I have already decided to pair him with Hercules . . . at least, for the first few days. I wish to see what he can handle before making a more permanent decision."

"Of course," Nemesis replied. "Iolaus and Deeta were both still asleep when I left. I should get back. I'll see you later, Chiron."

"Later, Nemesis," he murmured as she took flight.

* * *

Hercules crossed his arms in front of his thin chest and eyed the younger boy that Chiron had entrusted to him. "So . . . what are you in for?"

Iolaus straightened his back. "I was a thief, so this is where they sent me instead of prison. They figured I'm too young to go to prison. You?"

"My mother wanted me to learn discipline," Hercules nodded, then gestured to the wall where an array of weapons were displayed. "We're going to start with something simple; have you ever sparred with a staff before?"

"No, I've just wrestled with the guys that had me in their gang."

"Hmm, maybe we should start with what you know." He led Iolaus to the mats where they proceeded to spar. After nearly an hour of manoeuvres, Hercules sat up, panting and laughing. "I'll say this for you, you may be small, but you can definitely hold your own!"

Iolaus giggled, as well. "Thanks! You have some good moves, too. Could you show me how you did that one where you . . ." He tried to mimic the hold with an imaginary opponent.

"Here . . . like this . . . there you go!" Hercules coached him for a few minutes before one of the instructors entered the exercise hall.

"Now that you've all been paired off, I expect each and every one of you to watch out for your partner . . ." the instructor droned on for several minutes about loyalty and honour and brotherhood. He reminded them that they were all expected to look out for one another and treat each other as equals and as family.

"Hey, Herc? What do you guys do for fun around here?" Iolaus ventured once the instructor had completed his inspiring speech.

"Fun? Well, we . . . usually don't have much time for fun. Sometimes we'll go into town, but there's not really much to do there. Nothing that would land us in any trouble, anyhow."

"Oh, that's good to know. Last thing I need is to fall in with another bad crowd."

"How are you two getting along?" Chiron stole up behind the pair.

"Great, Chiron," Hercules was quick to respond. "Iolaus has some good wrestling moves!"

"Ah, good! Come along. We three shall tour the rest of the Academy now," the wise centaur ushered them out into the warm late morning sun. He showed them to the field where the cadets played recreational sports and the stables where the horses were kept.

Iolaus was astounded by the size of the animals. Did they really expect him to be able to ride one of those?

Chiron noticed the look of awe and wonder on the boy's face. "It will be a while yet before either of you are riding. You both need to get your strength up and learn how to talk to them!" he exclaimed with a warm smile.

Hercules smiled self-consciously while Iolaus continued to gaze up at one horse in particular. He could sense something about this one, but he wasn't sure what it was.

Up in the rafters, unnoticed by any below, two goddesses sat perched. "Iolaus will do well here, I think, Deeta," Nemesis remarked.

"I hope so, Aunt Nemesis. I just have this feeling . . . like he's meant for more. Who's that he's with?" Deeta mused.

"That, dear niece, is Hercules."

"Hercules? Son of Zeus? _That's_ who got paired with Iolaus?" Deeta drew a deep breath, then nodded. "Of course," she murmured so softly even Nemesis's divine ears barely heard.

"Hercules doesn't know that he's a son of Zeus . . . yet. We should be going. Your mother sent word earlier."

"Hm? Mother did?" Deeta murmured as though in a daze. She shook herself from it and turned to Nemesis. "Of course. When my mother calls, I should always hurry." The pair shimmered out without any of the stable hands being any the wiser.

Young Iolaus blinked several times, knowing that something monumental had just happened. He simply had no idea what that something was!


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks, "Guest"!_

"You called for me, Mother?" Deeta bowed before her mother, the goddess of compassion and pity.

"Yes, Deeta. You saw Hercules at the Academy today, yes?" Eleos arched one perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

"Yes, Mother, I saw him," she responded respectfully.

"Zeus wants him to be a great hero. You are to ensure that he has compassion for those weaker than he is."

"Yes, Mother."

"For now, you will simply look in on him periodically," Eleos informed her. "You will be permitted to meet him when he is ready to accept his destiny." She paused for a moment and regarded her daughter. "It is good to see you, child. Come, give your mother a hug," she smiled warmly.

Deeta smiled back at her with the same brightness and rushed towards her to be enveloped in her mother's warm embrace.

* * *

"Hey, Hercules? You ever have that feeling something big happened?" Iolaus mused aloud after supper.

"Only you don't know what it was? Sure, all the time," he admitted.

"I'm serious."

"So'm I. There have been times I could swear I was being watched by someone . . . not of this world."

"Like a goddess?" Iolaus had an odd sense of déja vu as he uttered those words.

Hercules merely shrugged as they walked along through the forest towards the river that ran not far from the Academy. "Watch out for a dip in the ground near here. There's an old tree root that no one can dislodge around where you're walking," he cautioned.

Iolaus kept his eyes on the ground at his feet and stepped carefully. He did not want to appear foolish in front of this boy. But why should his opinion matter so much? They were partnered for the year, that much was true, but Iolaus was still new so a little slip could be forgiven.

"We're almost to the river," Hercules called back to his companion.

Iolaus's foot got caught in a small hole in the ground and surely would have gone rolling down the hill and straight into the river, except an invisible hand kept him steady as he dislodged himself. "Whew," he sighed in relief. "Whoever you are, thank you for saving me," he whispered.

"Take care, Iolaus, brave and true," the wind seemed to whisper back to him.

He still had a bemused grin on his face when he reached the river and Hercules's side.

"What are you grinning about?" Hercules asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing. I thought I heard . . . the wind sounded like it said my name. Silly, huh?"

"Yeah, that's silly, all right. Isn't this place great? Hardly anybody knows about this spot, so you have to keep it a secret, remember?"

"Sure, Herc. I won't tell anybody," the younger boy promised again.

Hercules raised an eyebrow at his companion.

"What?" Iolaus asked.

"You called me . . . Herc?"

"What? What's wrong with that?"

"Oh, nothing. But I thought I heard the wind saying it!" he teased.

"Hey!" Iolaus chased the older boy along the river until he caught him and began mock punching him.

Through his laughter, Hercules cried "uncle" first. "All right, all right! You win! I won't make fun of you when you hear the wind calling to you!"

"And?" Iolaus prompted, a small fist poised to strike.

"And? And what?"

"And I can call you Herc?"

The son of Zeus appeared to consider this for a moment. Then he noticed the fist starting to move nearer to his head. "Okay, okay! You can call me Herc! Just don't tell anybody that you do. Don't need more people making fun of me."

"People make fun of _you_? What for?"

"Because I got paired off with a scrawny kid like you," he teased.

But Iolaus didn't like being called scrawny. It hit a nerve. He rose and started walking away, wondering why no one ever liked him for long.

"Hey, Iolaus, wait up," Hercules called as he ran to catch up to him. "What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

"You called me scrawny!" he sniffled.

"Yeah? So?" Hercules was confused by the smaller boy's reaction.

"The - in that gang I used to be in - the bigger boys would call me scrawny and runt when they were picking on me!"

"Oh," he murmured as realisation dawned upon him. "Iolaus, I'm sorry. I was just teasing you. That's what friends do. I didn't mean it like that. I didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"Really?" He wiped a hand across his face. "So that . . . that was all just . . . goofing around?"

"Yes, really. Now, come on, we should head back. We don't want to be late for inspection. We'll have time for fun here another day," he promised. He began climbing back up the hill towards the forest.

_'Friend?_ Iolaus mused. _He really thinks of us as friends? I could get used to this!_ He smiled as he raced up to catch up to his first real friend. Even if they were only friends for the duration of their stay at the Academy, Iolaus knew he would never forget Hercules.


End file.
